CHAPTER 1: PARTNERING WITH GOD 2022
It’s real simple for me, either I’m in or I’m not. I want to know Him better, I want to fight sin everyday in myself, I want to serve, I want to believe, I want Him everywhere in my life and I want to pray because I think it’s strong. Or I don’t. I choose: “I do.” I do. I do what the Lord asks me to do even when I need His help to do it and when I mess it up, it makes me crazy and I try again, cause that’s what I want, or I don’t. And if I don’t none of the afore mentioned matters. However, it does matter to me, it all matters to me, I matter to me, I matter to Him, He matters to me so everyday I try again…, against my flesh and against my nature, I try again to be a servant, child, soldier of Christ. Amen, Amen, Amen. I want to run my business in the reflection of God’s promises to me, His ways, His direction, His word. Either I do or I don’t. Again: “I do.” And it’s hard everyday, but not as hard as no structure from the book, from the Word, from the Holy Spirit. Hey, that’s just me. Do I fail? Constantly. In the blood of Christ I try again and again and again.., and on some days I do better than others.
Galatians 1:11-13 New International Version (NIV)
Paul Called by God
11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
Galatians 1:22-24 New International Version (NIV)
22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23 They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24 And they praised God because of me.
I can relate to that. The man who said it, his name was Paul, a Christian killer by trade, brought to the faith by Christ himself. Knocked off of his horse and reduced to a blind man then in the power of God restored a powerful man of God — an amazing story, you should read about Him. He makes no apologies for Jesus, quite the opposite.
I work with a lot of people, with way different backgrounds. There are believers, non-believers, some kind of believer and then there’s used to be believers, or maybe casual believers.
“Maybe believers,” they maybe believe, like when all hell breaks loose and they need a favor. “Casual believers” go to church on Christmas and Easter.
Non believer, I can kill, steal and destroy as long as I can get away with it. I’ve got no rules.
Believer. That’s a big word. I believe a man named Jesus Christ died for my sins so I can go to heaven for all eternity, and I want to pay Him back with better than my best in all things. Let’s focus on that.
Paul the apostle, God knocked Him down and then brought Him into the service of the Lord, one of the most powerful figures in the Bible. Will He do that for you?
Jeremiah 29:11
New International Version
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Alright, partnering with God. Could you learn about business in a science book? Probably not. In a math book? Probably not. How about in a business book? Probably not. If you’re a believer, you get it from the Bible. We can find “some kind of facts” in all kinds of places and sources, the more you read, the more you realize how much actually started in the Bible, people take it twist it up, and make it into something that is not truth — how much of everything written started in the book, the actual word of God, not touched by anything, as it is written, period. Jesus Christ, the very first turnaround Jedi Master. What is the best teaching I received from Him?
Luke 16:10 ESV / 125 helpful votes
“One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much.
It’s important to stick with church, 10 commandments and the bible as it was originally written, at least that is what I did. Even the best of us are inconsistent in study and obedience to the Lord. I keep trying. He keeps helping me to try. As a sinner, it is challenging. Temptation waits at every turn. The love of money, property, prestige, alcohol, drugs, gambling, inappropriate relationships all waiting to destroy men and woman.
If you don’t believe in God, partner with yourself, make your own rules. Left to my own devices things change with my mood, absolute fact is optional, fact and fiction are the same to a mind without God.
With God, in times of trouble and success, all days I want to be with Him. I have no desire anymore to oppose Him or His will. Sin bothers me repeatedly, temptation is at my door. I’m not alone, the Lord is with me and teaches me how to move away from harm. Produce, deliver and collect is a prayer every day and a gift every day. To do the right thing, at the right time, efficiently and for a fair price. All of it, even on challenging days – I get to do it, I never say I have to do it, in His holy grace I get to proceed, to continue, to live, to love and serve with Him, in Him.
Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Partnering with God is a journey, and all along the way things get better even when stress takes over. Let me share a couple things with you, important to remember.
1. Stress comes upon me when I’m resisting my responsibilities. I don’t think about it when I’m doing my responsibilities.
2. I watch all of us fight for the right to be stupid. Common sense is not so common and stupid is very, very expensive.
Either we depend on ourselves or God. When trouble comes do you really want to be the only one you can depend on? With God, I have another chance. In God I may be able to more than I ever dreamed. Without God, I can judge everybody, do anything and — I can believe whole heartedly that I’m intelligent and superior even on the days I’m an idiot and chaos knocks down my door.
In God you have a secret weapon. Partnering with God puts you in a better place, His very hand is upon you.
Romans 8:31 King James Version (KJV)
31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?
I can tell you one thing for sure. There are no atheists in foxholes with rockets and bullets flying overhead. There are no atheists when your child is laying on a death bed, if you’re lucky enough to know you’re going to die. Not everybody gets that option. There are only so many minutes left in my life, same as you. What will you do with yours? Here’s a tip. Ask Him. As I understand scripture there are many job openings for Kingdom work. It pays good dividends. Apply for the job, every day. He is waiting for you, every day. The best is yet to come.
1 Chronicles 4:10
New International Version
10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.
That could be you. Dig it, kids. Amen.
